CASE REPORT   

Minerva Pediatrica 1999 September-October;51(9-10):319-24

Copyright © 1999 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English, Italian

Bone marrow hypoplasia associated with acute viral hepatitis in four children

Pavone P., Greco F., Fisher A., Zancan L., D’Agata A., Musumeci S.

Four cases of children, aged 2 to 11 years, with acute viral hepatitis and bone marrow hypoplasia are reported. Three patients presented only jaundice and hepatomegaly; one also had liver failure. All the four patients underwent bone marrow aspiration which showed bone marrow aplasia. In two of the four patients a liver biopsy revealed patchy necrosis with inflammatory mononuclear cell infiltrate. Half of the patients received a bone marrow transplantation; the remaining patients were treated by intravenous infusion of immunoglobulins, growth factors and steroids. The main epidemiological and etiological features of such association are also reported.